A Case Report of Small Cell Carcinoma of the Esophagus-Multidisciplinary Treatment with Hyperthermia

Abstract

We report a case of small cell carcinoma of the esophagus, on which multidisciplinary therapies combined with thermotherapy provided approximately a nine-month extention of survival. The patient was a 75-year-old male. In July 1987, he began to develop a hoarse voice and dysphagia. Following a diagnosis of cancer of the esophagus made at another hospital, he was admitted to our hospital on November 16. A variety of examinations and tests upon admission showed it was a non-resectable esophageal cancer extending to the ImEilu. Biopsy revealed small cell carcinoma of the esophagus. From November 30, the patient received 47 Gy of radiotherapy in total and immunochemotherapy consisting in total of BLM 65 mg, CDDP 150 mg, 5FU 4500 mg, VP-16 180 mg, OK432 57.2 KE and PSK 99 g. In addition, local thermotherapy was conducted nine times. Such multidisciplinary therapies caused the disapperance of not merely the symptoms but also the tumor shadow on esophagograms. In July 1988, however, the patient was readmitted for multiple liver metastasis. On August 6, he died. In conclusion, the local efficasy of combined radiotherapy and thermotherapy was expected, but more effective chemotherapy was considered necessary.